Summer is here and soon most South Africans will be wanting to soak up the sun and be on the beach in bathing suits.
One way of helping to get in shape is not to over eat.
The truth is that the amount of food you eat is just as important as the type of food you eat to ensure your body gets all the nutrients it needs and to maintain a healthy weight.
Five a day is a catch phrase which reinforces the fact that we need to eat five portions of fruit and vegetables a day to stay healthy.
Bonitas Medical Fund shares some tips from the American Dietary Association on how to be wiser about the amount of food we eat.
Read the labels
Check the labels to see how many people the food you are buying is supposed to feed and use this as a guideline. There is no point in buying a low-kilojoule meal for two and eating it all yourself.
Labels are also great to check the breakdown of ingredients such as fats, carbohydrates and kilojoules per portion. So learn to read labels.
Decoding fruit portions
When it comes to fruit, two or more small fruits, such as plums make up one portion. One medium sized fruit - such as an apple or banana, will also equal one portion.
For larger fruit it gets trickier but in the case of a grapefruit, half of one equals a portion. Be wary when it comes to dried fruit though, as around 30 grams equals a portion.
Vegetable portions work differently
With veggies your best measurement is a heaped tablespoon as a measure. An example: Four heaped tablespoons of cooked spinach or green beans make up one portion, while three tablespoons of carrots, peas and sweet corn is a portion.
Whereas beans and lentils make up one portion per day no matter how much of them you eat.
Portion sizes of carbs and protein
The ideal portion size for hard cheese, such as cheddar or gouda, is 30 grams which is about the size of a matchbox. For fish, the ideal portion is the size of your palm. When it comes to chicken a portion is about the size of a deck of cards.
Starches however are different and the guideline is to measure a portion as the size of your fist.
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Tips to reduce portion sizes
1. Plan your meals in advance
2. Don't skip meals, You're more likely to eat large portions if you are hungry or have been starving yourself
3. Measure and weigh your food. This can be particularly useful when eating cereals, rice and pasta
4. Use a smaller plate and pack away leftovers to prevent going back for seconds
5. Opt for foods packaged in individual serving sizes, or create your own
6. When you eat out, try to fill half your plate with vegetables or salad and perhaps take a doggie bag home to prevent over-eating
7. Share dessert or high-kilojoule meals
Even if you are eating healthily, if you are over eating you will put on weight. Let your hand be your guide.
Here's how:
1. To avoid a kilojoule-laden meal, limit pasta servings to half a cup or roughly the size of the front of your clenched fist.
2. The size of the palm of your hand is the recommended service size for chicken, meat and fish.
3. Look at your fingertip. That's about a teaspoon and how much butter your toast will need.
4. Your thumb, from knuckle to tip, is about the size of a tablespoon. Double it for a single serving of peanut butter.
5. A clenched fist is roughly one cup, or a double serving of ice cream.
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In addition to watching portion sizes select lean, grilled foods over fried foods, limit sauces and keep active. And remember too that alcohol is full of empty calories.
Women should have no more than 1 unit per day and men, no more than 2 units per day. Choose your mixer carefully, avoiding those that are loaded with sugar and add loads of ice to your drink.
We know the festive season is a time to eat, drink and be merry but if you choose correctly when the New Year arrives you won't have that extra weight to lose.
So be wise with portion size.